Crosswalk.com aims to offer the most compelling biblically-based content to Christians on their walk with Jesus. Crosswalk.com is your online destination for all areas of Christian Living – faith, family, fun, and community. Each category is further divided into areas important to you and your Christian faith including Bible study, daily devotions, marriage, parenting, movie reviews, music, news, and more.

Transformation Garden - April 27, 2012

2012Apr 27

COMMENTS

“And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife… and Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren… and Isaac was threescore years old when she (Rebekah) bare them.”Genesis 25: 20, 21,26King James Version

EXPLORATION

“Here We Go Again”
God’s Waiting the Second Time Around

“Though God take the sun out of heaven yet we must have patience.”
George Herbert

Is there something in my life I need to have patience for God to bring to pass?

“Patience is the queen of the virtues.”
John Chrysostom

INSPIRATION

“Our real blessings often appeal to us in the shape of pains, losses, and disappointments; but let us have patience, and we soon shall see them in their proper figures.”
Joseph Addison

Have you ever had something happen in your life that appeared to be the biggest disaster you could imagine, but looking back, you are now able to see that God had a plan at work all the time in your life.

And just possibly, what you needed to learn through the experience was to wait on the Lord to work in your behalf.

Often in my life, I’ve asked myself, why is learning to wait so important? And I’d like to offer three lessons we can learn that benefit us in our walk with God while we wait. What’s more, we will look at these lessons through the eyes of Rebekah and Isaac and what they learned in their lives about waiting upon the Lord.

However, before we look at these three lessons a little background is in order.

If we go back to our study about Sarah, we are reminded that she also, just like her daughter-in-law Rebekah, could not bare a child. In fact, Sarah went for nearly her entire life being promised a child by God only to find herself with an empty womb and empty arms.

We have to remember, Isaac had a step-brother, Ishmael. And Isaac saw firsthand that “not waiting” has a huge downside. This brings us to our first lesson.

Lesson #1- Learning to wait is a time of instruction. Think of what Isaac learned from his parents, Abraham and Sarah, about the folly of rushing ahead of God. He saw the sorrow of his father who because of family strife had to try to restore peace by sending away Hagar and his own son, Ishmael. And this brings us to lesson number two.

Lesson #2 – Learning to wait is a time to take our need to God. I love the text in Genesis 25: 21, “And Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife… and the Lord was intreated of him.” Isn’t that beautiful? Instead of taking things into his own hands or finding someone else who could give him a child, Isaac prayed for his wife. He called on God on behalf of his wife. This to me shows the depths of Isaac’s love for his precious wife – he lifted her needs to heaven in prayer. This is truly the sign of a Godly man. And I ask you girls, “What woman wouldn’t love a man like this – a praying husband?”

Lesson #3 – Learning to wait is the time we rely totally on God for His answer, not our desire. As Thomas á Kempis so wonderfully penned, “(She) rides at ease whom the grace of God carries.” Betsie ten Boom aptly stated, “The center of God’s will is our only safety.” This is a lesson Isaac found to be true, as we see, after he entreated God on behalf of his wife Rebekah. The Bible tells us she conceived, not one child, but twin boys. Please note, Isaac was 60 years old when these babies were born. For 20 years, Rebekah and Isaac were instructed, were praying, and were relying on the will of their Father in heaven to give them the gift they longed for.

Waiting – it was hard for Abraham and Sarah so they decided to take things into their own hands and the consequences were disastrous. Isaac and Rebekah had to wait, too. And God answered their prayer in His way and His time.

“Trust, which is a virtue, is also a habit, like prayer. It requires exercise. And just as no one can run five miles a day and cede the cardiovascular effects to someone else, no one can trust for us.”
Sue Halpren

AFFIRMATION

Our affirmation today is written by the English poet and hymnodist, William Cowper.

“God moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding ev’ry hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Judge not the LORD by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace;
Behind a frowning providence,
He hides a smiling face.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill,
He treasures up his bright designs,
And works his sovereign will.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan his work in vain;
GOD is his own interpreter,
And he will make it plain.”